Tempting Rowan (Trace + Olivia #3) (18 page)

“What?” I gasped, stumbling back. I
needed
this job. Without it, I was screwed. “Why?” I couldn’t understand. Was this some cruel joke? I was a hard worker and I never caused trouble.

“Honey,” her voice was hushed, “there was…something on the security tapes.”

I closed my eyes. This couldn’t be happening.

“We
can’t have someone working here that would do something like that,” she looked at me sadly, not with disgust, which surprised me.

I nodded. “I understand.”
I cringed at the fact that Mary, someone I respected, had seen me like that. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to look at her ever again.

I walked away from her and out the door, straight to my car.
My posture was stiff and I was completely stunned that that had just happened. I couldn’t seem to process the fact that I had just gotten fired. I knew what Trent and I had done in the library was wrong, and I had to pay the consequences.

I leaned my head against the headrest.

Unlike most people, I was more upset over losing my job than I was about them having watched Trent and I have sex. Without a job, I was screwed. Simple as that.

I picked up my phone, my fingers clumsy with my anger.

“Hello?” Trent answered and he sounded half-asleep.

“I got fired,” I seethed. “I need that job, Trent! I don’t know what I’m going to do!”

“Whoa, slow down,” he sounded slightly more alert, “why’d you get fired?”

I frowned, staring up at the ceiling of my car. “They saw us, Trent…on the security tapes.”

“A library has cameras?” He asked in disbelief.

“Yeah,” I said slowly, angry with myself. “I have to have a job, Trent.” My head fell against the steering wheel, honking the horn.

“Did you just honk your car horn?” He chuckled.

“It was an accident,” I mumbled.

“So…they seriously have it on tape?” He cleared his throat. “Us having sex?”

“No, they fired me because I let a bunny
loose around the library!” I was getting pissed now. “Of course they have it on tape!”

“Think they’d let me buy it?” His voice was serious.

“Trent!” I exclaimed.

“What? I didn’t say I
was going to watch it,” he said, and there was rustling in the background. “But I’d hate for something like that to get out. I can tell you’re upset. Let me fix this.”

“I don’t care about the sex tape! All I care about is the fact that I’m jobless!”

Trent chuckled. “You are such an unusual woman. As for your ‘jobless’ problem, I think I have a solution for that.”

“You do?” For the first time since Mary had said they’d have to let me go, I could breathe again.

“Yeah,” he mumbled and there was more shuffling. “Meet me at Trace’s.”

“Uh…I don’t know where he lives.”

He laughed at that. “I meant at his shop.”

“Oh, okay. I’m pretty close,” I muttered, already backing out of the parking lot.

“Just wait in your car until I get there,” he told me.

“I can do that,” I breathed, relief flooding my bo
dy.

Wentworth Wheels was only about five minutes from the library. I parked on the street, instead of the lot. I didn’t want Trace coming out and asking me why I was there before Trent arrived.

I stayed alert, watching for Trent’s black car. When it pulled into the lot across the street, I got out of my car, braving the cold.

He was already out of
his car and grinning as I jogged across the street. Thank God I’d worn flats today.

“I can’t believe the librarians watched us have sex,” he laughed with a smirk.

“Stop talking about it,” I gagged, “and don’t you dare say anything to your brother about this,” I pointed a warning finger at him.

“Trust me, I won’t,” he raised his hands in surrender. “I’d never hear the end of it from him. Come on,” Trent waved for me to follow him into the garage.

In my skirt and button down jacket, I felt extremely over dressed. Plus, my legs were cold.

“Trace?” Trent called out. “Where are you?”

Something metal clanged to the ground, and then we heard, “Over here,” coming from our right.

“What are you guys doing here?” Trace asked, sliding out from under a car and scaring me half to death.

“I have a solution to your problem,” Trent smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels.

“What problem?” Trace slid out even further so he could sit up.

“The one where the phone’s always ringing and you have to stop working to answer it.” Trent’s grin widened further if that was even possible.

“And how have you solved it?” Trace pushed his dark hair out of his eyes before draping his arms over his knees.

“Rowan,” he pointed to me.

“Me?” I gasped.

“She needs a job. You need someone to answer phones and check inventory. It’s a win-win,” Trent shrugged. “Feel free to thank me and shower me with your affections.” He bowed dramatically.

“Why do you like this guy?” Trace looked up at me. “He’s really dumb.”

“Remember,” Trent leaned against the side of the car Trace was working on, “we both came from the same sperm and egg.”

“And that wa
s unfortunate,” Trace jumped up and ruffled Trent’s hair, “I got all the good looks. Sucks for you.”

Trent shook his head. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better.”

Ignoring his younger brother, Trace eyed me. “Can you handle answering the phone and setting up appointments, plus keep track of parts I need to order?” There was a challenge in his eyes, like he didn’t think I could really do it.

“That’s easy,” I said sassily. I was the kind of person who always rose to the challenge, and this was no exception.

Trace smiled crookedly. “Welcome to Wentworth Wheels,” he held out his hand for me to take. “Just don’t have sex in the office and we’re good.”

My eyes threatened to bug out of my head. How did he know? He was making a joke about Trent and I in the library, right?

“I’m kidding, Rowan. Relax,” he laughed easily, “have all the sex you want, as long as I don’t have to walk in on it. That’s happened one too many times with Avery and Luca, and let me tell you, that’s something no one wants to see.”

With that, Trace sat back down
and slid under the car. “Can you start tomorrow?” He slid back out so just his head poked through from beneath the car.

“Absolutely.”

Then he was gone again.

Trent and I walked back outside. “What was with the sex comment?” I asked him. “Did you tell him what happened at the library?”
I’d thought he’d said as we came in that he didn’t want Trace knowing, but he seemed to be aware of something to make that sort of remark.

I was about ten seconds away from being
pissed
if he’d told his brother what happened. I’d never be able to look Trace in the eye ever again.

“What? No, of course not,” he stopped walking. “Why would you think that?” He asked, his thick brows furrowing together.

“Um, because of the no sex in the office comment,” I tossed my thumb over my shoulder, pointing at the garage.

“Oh, that’s because of Luca and Avery,” he shrugged as he started walking towards his car.

“They’re real people?”

“
Yeah,” he laughed, stopping by his car and crossing his arms over his chest. “Luca is Trace’s best friend, which I seriously don’t understand since the guy barely speaks, and Avery is his fiancé…wife,” he shook his head, scolding himself for the mistake. “They’re gone on their honeymoon now.”

“And they both work here and have sex in the office?”

I was so confused.

Trent laughed, clearly amused by me. “Luca does. He helps Trace. Avery’s just hornier than a guy and can’t leave him alone.”

“That’s not very nice of you to say,” I frowned.

Trent shook his head, giving me a small smile. “Once you meet Avery, you’ll see what I mean.”

I wasn’t so sure I wanted to meet this Avery. She sounded like she’d get on my nerves.

“I’ll see you later.” I wasn’t sure if I should kiss him, or hug him, or I don’t know what, so I turned and walked away. That seemed to be the safer option.

“Wait!” He called, the gravel crunching beneath his boots. “Why don’t we go to lunch?”

“I should really go home,” I mumbled.

“But if you were working you wouldn’t be home,” he peered down at me.

He was right. “Fine,” I relinquished without any fight. “I’ll follow you.”

Ten minutes later I found myself sitting at the same booth in the same restaurant I thought Trent might kill Jude in. I couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic when I thought of it, and what had then happened in the bathroom.

I also couldn’t believe I’d just gotten fired. I couldn’t care less about the ‘sex tape’ as Trent kept calling it. Did it really count as a sex tape if it was caught on a security camera? Probably.

“I’ll have the club sandwich,” I told the waiter, handing over the menu.

Trent placed his order and eyed me over his glass of water. “Didn’t you get that last time?”

“I did,” I nodded, “and it was delicious. That’s why I got it again.”

“Why not try something new?” He suggested
, his smile widening so that I caught sight of the small dimple in his cheek—it didn’t always show, but when it did, it was adorable.

I squeezed the l
emon, dropping it into my water before taking a sip. “If I like something, I don’t see the need to try something else.”

Trent cleared his throat and wiggled in his seat, like he was unsure if he wanted to ask something. “Is that why you…uh…haven’t been with anyone else…since me?” His voice was hushed so it didn’t carry through the restaurant.

I traced my finger over some words carved into the table. “I guess you could say that,” I shrugged.

“If you…had feelings for me all these years,” he ventured, “why did you stay away?” His eyes were truly inquisitive and I knew he genuinely didn’t understand why I had avoided him.

“I had my reasons,” I answered vaguely.

“
Your mom?” He pressed me for more information.

“She was part of it,” I sighed, swirling my finger around the condensation shimmering on top of the table from my water glass.

“You can talk to me about her, Rowan.”

I looked up at him and his eyes pleaded with me to open up to him. I couldn’t do it though. I wasn’t the kind of girl to confess her feelings and seek comfort in the arms of another person. I preferred to fight my demons on my own. I didn’t need Trent to slay my dragons and be my knight in shining armor. I could save myself…I didn’t know if I wanted to though.

“Rowan?” He repeated my name when I didn’t say anything.

With a sigh, I said, “I know I
can
, but I don’t want to. It’s not something I like to talk about.” I stared down at my water glass and away from his eyes that always saw too much.

“Fine,” he sat back, “I won’t push you.” Tapping his
fingers along the back of the booth, he asked, “Have you thought anymore about going to New York with me?” He questioned.

“You asked me last night! This morning I lost my job! So, no, I haven’t thought about it,” I snapped.

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “I really want you to go.”

“I want to go too,” I admitted, crossing my arms over my chest, “but I have to work things out with the kids.”

“I understand,” he nodded.

“No, you don’t,” I muttered. “You don’t get it
at all.”

“Why are you in such a mood today?” He eyed me. “Is this a PMS thing or something?”

“No, it’s called a ‘you’re being annoying’ mood,” I countered, looking around the restaurant. I began to feel bad though. I shouldn’t have been taking my anger out on him. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I didn’t get much sleep, and getting fired was the icing on the cake for this craptastic day.”

Trent grinned.

“Why are you smiling?” I asked.

“Because, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that you’re sorry.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” I sat up straighter.

“There most certainly is,” he smirked.

chapter twelve

“I don’t want to go to grandma’s
without you!” Tristan protested, stomping his foot.

“You love grandma’s,” I kneeled on the ground so that we were eye level. “You’re going to have so much fun and bake cookies for Santa!”

“I want
you
to help me,” he pouted.

“I’m sorry, Tris
tan,” I ran my fingers through his sandy hair, “but I need to do this.”

Watching the tears brim his eyes was tearing me apart. Maybe I could tell Trent I had changed my mind. I knew he’d understand.

“Okay,” Tristan finally agreed as he hugged me. Just as I was beginning to talk myself out of it, he’d finally agreed. He was such an easygoing child, and so easy to love.

I kissed his cheek and he squirmed. “Ew, Row! Don’t kiss me!”

“Get in the car,” I told him. “Grandma is waiting for us.”

I checked the trunk again to make sure I had all their stuff and the gifts from Santa that I had carefully hidden.

My grandparents lived over an hour away in a much nicer neighborhood than the one we lived in. We didn’t visit them much. My mom didn’t like for them to help us. I’d been bringing Tristan and Ivy to their house for Christmas since I could drive, and our mom always stayed behind. I knew Ivy still remembered previous Christmas’ we’d had with our mom, and it never ended well. Tristan was lucky enough to have never experienced it.

I pulled into the driveway of the nice two-story home. I wasn’t surprised when the door opened and my grandma appeared, her arms spread wide to welcome Tristan and Ivy into her embrace. I grabbed their suitcases, watching her chat happily with them as they beamed up at her.

I didn’t have a very good relationship with my grandparents. It was nothing like what I had with my mom, but I didn’t really know them. I’d never allowed myself to. My mom had made me wary of other people, and because of it I’d shut off my emotions. If you didn’t feel, the things people did to you could never hurt you.

As my mom got worse, I had reached out to my grandparents for Ivy and Tristan’s sake. I did enjoy being here though, it was peaceful, and I didn’t ha
ve to worry about my gross step-dad or my drunk mother.

I wheeled the suitcases up the pathway
, the bag with the presents slung over my shoulder. Tristan and Ivy had gone inside, but my grandma waited, holding the door open for me.

“I’m sad you
won’t be staying,” she smiled kindly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I was looking forward to spending time with all of you.”

“I’m sorry I can’t stay.” I placed the suitcases
and bag by the steps, shoving my hands in the back pockets of my jeans. The house was clean, warm, and welcoming. The scent of cinnamon hung in the air. “Are you baking something?”

She nodded. “Cookies. Would you like some?”

I started to say no, but instead I found myself nodding.

“Come on then,” she closed the door and waved for me to follow her down the hallway to
the kitchen.

I ran my finger along the marble countertops, smiling at the kids as they devoured the cookies.

Being in this house, and seeing how
nice
my grandparents were, made me question how my mom had become such a monster.

“Here,” she held out a baggy filled with snickerdoodle cookies. I gladly accepted them as she patted my cheek. “You’ve grown in
to such a beautiful young woman. I wish we saw you more often. All of you,” she smiled at Tristan and Ivy. “Please, don’t let your mom keep you away from us.”

I frowned. It wasn’t my mom that kept me away, it was my fear of abandonment. Keeping
at a safe distance meant you couldn’t be disappointed by someone’s actions. I’d given Trenton a chance though, so why not them?

“We’ll try to visit more often,” I smiled. “I have to go,” I looked over at Ivy and Tristan. “Give me a hug.”

They dove at me, getting cookie crumbs all over my shirt and on the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” I lowered,
stretching my arm out to pick up the crumbs.

“Don’t worry about it,” my grandma reached down, grabbing my arm and helping me up. Stray pieces of gray hair fell into her face.
“Can I…can I hug you goodbye?”

“Yeah, of course,” I mumbled, as I hugged the woman. Was I such a horrible person that my grandma felt like she had to ask for my permission to hug me?

“I love you, Rowan,” she smiled as she led me back to the front door.

Love.
There was that word again, the word that made me cringe and feel like my insides were curling in on themselves. Love was nothing but a lie in my mind.

“Mhmm,” I mumbled. Pointing at the bag I’d dropped on the floor earlier, I said, “Their presents are in there. Be sure to hide it.”

“I will,” she assured me, standing in the doorway as I headed to my car. “Have fun!”

I waved my hand and got in my car. I sat there for a moment, staring at the house and the happy picture it made. When had I gotten so messed up? When had my childhood innocence
transitioned me into this hardened shell of a person? Would I ever be able to break free of myself?




Back home, I still had
an hour before Trent was picking me up for our evening flight. I hadn’t packed yet. I had stared at my closet, willing the clothes to magically appear in the open suitcase, but so far that wasn’t working. Everything I owned didn’t seem like it was enough, but it would have to do. I didn’t have the money to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe.

I packed what I had that I felt would be acceptable for a city like Manhattan and zipped the luggage.

“Where are you going?”

I jumped at the
sound of my step-dad’s voice. I hadn’t heard him come home. I guess since he’d been gone for a few days I expected him not to come back.

“I’m leaving for a week,” I answered.

“That’s not what I asked you,” he stepped further into my room and it felt like the aqua walls were closing in around me.

“I don’t see how where I’m going is any of your business,” I stood up straighter. I would not be intimidated and I would not act afraid. I was a strong woman and I wouldn’t let this insignificant piece of shit frighten me. Jim preyed on the weak, and I certainly wasn’t that.

He reached out, wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger and tugging—hard. My teeth ground together as I fought to control the wince that so desperately wanted to twist my face.

“Don’t. Touch. Me.”

The words were hissed between my teeth and they barely sounded human. I was sick of being afraid in my own house.

Jim clucked his tongue. “You can’t talk to me like that.”

He pushed me onto my bed, and all the air left my lungs as his body fell on mine, pining me to the mattress.

Panic shook my body. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

The counting calmed me and helped to clear my head.

Jim pinned my wrists down and despite the fact that he was a scrawny man he was still strong.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

I counted again and then again.

His lips were
sucking on my neck as he ground his hips into me. I knew screaming was futile. My mom was passed out drunk in bed, and the neighbors would never hear. I was on my own.

“Stop,” I tried to wriggle my arms free. “Stop it!”

“Shh, I know you want it,” he continued to suckle my neck. I was going to throw up.

“You asshole, last time I checked ‘stop’ didn’t translate to somebody wanting something!” I squirmed some more, but his hold didn’t lessen. “Let me go!”

I’d given him the perfect opportunity for this. Tristan and Ivy were gone, and he knew my mom would never wake up. If only I had already been gone.

A part of me had been anticipating something like this happening for a while. Disturbing, I know, but the guy was a creep.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I prayed it was a text from Trent, saying he was here.

Counting on Trent to be outside waiting, I kneed Jim in gut. He grunted, releasing my wrists. His face was red with anger. He pulled his fi
st back to punch me, but I head-butted him in the face first. Blood spurted everywhere, and he fell to the ground, clutching his broken nose. “Bitch!” He spat.

My heart racing, I grabbed my suitcase and ran out of the house.

Trent wasn’t parked outside, like I had expected.

I
felt myself beginning to panic. I turned around, looking behind me to see if Jim was coming after me. He wasn’t. I knew he wouldn’t, but I was still scared. I was out in the open, where any of the neighbors would see him attack me, and Jim wasn’t stupid.

My head throbbed painfully where I’d bashed my head against his nose, and I knew I’d end up with a killer headache. As I pressed my hand against my head, I happened to look down and see blood—
his
blood—on my shirt.

My panic escalated, making my heart race painfully in my chest.

I needed it off.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

I dropped to my knees, my hands shaking as I wrenched off my shirt and tossed it somewhere in the snow covered yard. I didn’t care if one of the neighbors looked out and saw me in the yard in only my bra. I had to be rid of that shirt. I opened my suitcase and pulled out a sweatshirt, yanking it on.

I had just zipped my suitcase closed when I looked up to see Trent’s black car coming down the street.
Thank God.

I wheeled my suitcase down to the end of the driveway. Trent was quick to hop out and take it from me, putting it in the trunk.

“Are you okay?” He asked, as he got in the car and looked over at me.

My knee was bouncing restlessly and I couldn’t stop my hands from wringing together. I knew I couldn’t play this off like it was nothing. This wasn’t my normal behavior and Trent wasn’t stupid.

“Just drive. I want to get away from here.”

“Row—”

“
Please
, Trenton,” I begged, my lower lip trembling with the threat of tears—tears I was determined to never let spill over.

He nodded and didn’t say anything as he put the car in drive.

I let out a sigh of relief, relaxing against the seat as we left my house and the horrendous people inhabiting it, behind.

A few minutes had passed before Trent spoke. “Now that we’re a safe distance from your house, can you tell me what happened?”

I scrubbed the palms of my hands on the fabric of my ripped jeans. I knew I had to tell him something, but I didn’t know what. If I opened up and told him what Jim had done, I knew Trent would turn around and go back to my house, most likely killing the man. Trent ending up in jail because of me, wasn’t something I was willing to let happen.

“It was nothing,” I waved my hand dismissively.
“I got in a fight with my step-dad.”

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye before turning onto the interstate. The muscle in his jaw ticked and I knew he was contemplating what to say next.

“Did he…hurt you?”

“It was nothing I can’t handle,” I mumbled, propping my head on my hand and looking out the window.

“Rowan,” his hands landed on my knee, “you can tell me.”

“It was nothing,” I repeated
yet again. Maybe if I said the words enough I’d start to believe them.

He sighed, scratching his jaw. “I know you’re not telling me something. I’m not dumb, Row, but I’m not going to push you for information either. I want you to open up to me because you trust me, not because I’m pressing you.” He sighed, turning down the music in the car.

I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the cold glass.

I couldn’t love.

I couldn’t trust.

And without those two very important factors, how could I ever live?

“Rowan?”

I opened my eyes and lifted my head to look at him. “Yeah?”

“I want us to have fun on this trip, okay?” He waited for me to nod before continuing. “I understand that there’s things you don’t want to tell me, and I’ll respect that…for now,” he eyed me. “Whatever happened with your step-dad, let’s just put that behind us.”

I wanted to kiss him. That was how thankful I was to know he was dropping this. I knew Trent had to be itching to ask me more, but for the sake of not pushing me too far, he was going to let it go.

“Thank you,” I smiled at him gratefully, reaching for his hand.

His eyes flickered down to where I had entwined our fingers together. I knew he was a bit shocked by the gesture since I wasn’t the biggest fan of handholding.

He gave my hand a slight squeeze, his eyes watching the road ahead of us.

“Have you ever been on a plane before?” He asked.